THE JOURNEY

After a decade freshwater fishing in UK catching hundreds of fish over ten pounds and a couple of dozen over twenty pounds, I thought the transition to fly fishing would be easy.  It wasn’t.  First attempts might yield a solitary fish every four or five trips.  On starting competition fly fishing, coming last was the norm for the first couple of years.  But with thought and determination, failure can be harnessed to bring success.

​

Using the concept of incremental gains created a straightforward approach to improve skills and understand fish behaviour.  By dividing our fishing into numerous components from tackle and flies to location and techniques, the aim is to improve in each area by a few percent each year.  Collectively, the gains make a significant difference to success.  It can be a long hard road pushing to get the best out of your fishing, but the reward lies in the satisfaction of refining tactics and working out strategies. 

 

Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of watching, learning from and fishing with some of the best fly anglers in the country.  Many of these people have been on the podium at competitions, nationally and internationally, and occasionally I have been fortunate to share a podium with them, culminating in a Bronze Medal with the New Zealand Fly Fishing Team at the Commonwealth Champs in 2020.  These anglers share a common goal – the pursuit of excellence. 

 

KiwiNymphNZ fly rods are the culmination of half a century fishing with fifteen years Euro nymphing and ten years of competition fly fishing. Combined with a desire for excellence, superb materials, hand craftsmanship and an aesthetic sensibility, these rods are designed and built for purpose.

​

KiwiNymphNZ began over 10 years ago selling tapered mono leaders and micro-coil sighters for Euro style nymphing. The original goal was to help fund competition fishing for my son Johnny whose dream back then as a twelve-year-old was to one day achieve a place in the New Zealand Fly Fishing Team at the World Champs.  From being the youngest competitor, he realised his dream at the 2019 World Champs in Tasmania and is now a professional fly fishing guide and FFI certified casting instructor running Altitude Fly Fishing.

​

Life moves on and the total fishing experience is increasingly attractive. The river is important, fish size and numbers are significant and the environment completes the picture.  Many methods are productive but Euro nymphing is fast, exciting, effective and puts you in close contact with the fish.  Although any rod will catch trout, a well-designed rod has a positive effect on your enjoyment and skillset.

​

KiwiNymphNZ is a small business where the pursuit of excellence is the driving force to produce outstanding rods for purpose so that time on the water is transformed into an inspiring fly fishing experience.